Epilogue to Ireland & Scotland trip  

posted in July 2015 

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In July 2015, twenty months after the Ireland/Scotland trip, I had an unexpected inspiration to write down some impressions from the Ireland-Scotland trip which took place in late September/early October 2013, with two of my three sisters, Doris and Mary, who planned the entire trip.  I think Mary planned the Ireland part and Doris the Scotland part.

Doris' husband Paul was of course along too, and might have been part of the planning effort; I'm not sure. 

As a traveler I had the good fortune, for two weeks, of having no idea where our next destination was, starting from the time we landed at Shannon Airport. We did not discuss the itinerary so I did not look at a single map, or info-source, beforehand.

When the trip photos were posted in late 2013, I failed to acknowledge my sisters' efforts, so on this page I wish to apologize and acknowledge the work they did, and, to confirm how well it turned out.  

Every day overseas was fun and rewarding, and our accommodations were the best. 

OVERNIGHT STAYS 

Ireland

Castlegregory - Castle B&B - a high quality home, on a moderate property out in the country, easy to find, and a short walk away is an attractive beach.  The area is completely quiet at night.  Our en suite rooms were comfortable & spacious. With a crank-out window open at night, in came cool coastal air, as well as the sound of small waves breaking, in the distance. The friendly hosts here serve a superb breakfast.

Ventrys - Ceann Tra' Heights B&B - Ventrys is a short drive south from the port town of Dingle, Ireland. This B&B has especially comfortable rooms, and great owners, easy to talk with and they serve a great breakfast. My 2nd floor bedroom had a huge crank-out window and I sat up late reading, the North Atlantic only a thousand feet away, letting in cold air and the sound of waves breaking. 

There's a terrific view of a part of the Kerry Peninsula in the distance, from the front yard, so bring a spotting scope or your longest distance photo lens. 

Kilarney - Mountain Dew Inn - We stayed two nights at this in-town B&B. with onsite parking and it was quiet at night. The center of Kilarney is a ten minute walk and it is about 20 minutes to Ross Castle. Animated woman owner here, very attentive.  Being on a minor road, you might notice early morning vehicle sounds on work days (my room was at the front), in case you are a light sleeper. Once I heard the early traffic noise, I closed the street-side window & slept a little more. The owners kind-of over-do it on food, including a vast array of junk food, out all day & night.     

Cobh - Elmville House - a charming mid-1800's home with ultra-modern basement-level en suite rooms, large and comfortable. There are also a few upstairs rooms in the main house. This place is first class in all areas, and the owner is cosmopolitan & fun to chat with.  She has two daughters who live in Australia, where she visits in the off-season.  

You must print out a map ahead of time for how to get here because smart phone GPS did not function. We knew we were within say a mile of the place, but, it took us 40 somewhat frustrating minutes to get there and we repeatedly had to call the owner. Once we were there, the owner did not seem to be aware of the need to post an access map on her B&B website, or to show some graphic on her business card.   

Nonetheless, this place is well worth staying at, with modern place settings as a nice contrast to the elegant mid-1800s dining room. From the B&B it is a simple fifteen-minute walk into town. Cobh is a great place to leave the car behind & explore on foot.      

Tramore - Oban House - This B&B is easy to find, in the suburbs of a tiny coastal town. We were here two nights, in a modern suburban home in good condition, and Tramore is another 'leave the car behind' sized town. Two nights in a row, we found really good restaurants and excellent Pubs, only a 10-minute downhill walk from the B&B. 

The owner here is a great conversationalist and she has a lot of family photos all about, inviting story-telling. She is gracious & easy to like, and serves a great breakfast. Once again, my bedroom had a wide crank-out window, at night bringing in fresh coastal breezes & the sound of waves breaking, in the distance.     

Ennis - Glenomra House - We were here for one night. This highly rated B&B has easy freeway access to get to nearby Shannon Airport.  It is on a main road in the older suburbs. There's no lift.  We had 2nd floor rooms with a view of a good-sized back yard.  Mary, the owner, was at the National Hurling Championship game in Dublin with her son, the night before, getting home at 2 am, yet she served a complete breakfast for many early-risers at 6 am.

SCOTLAND

Glasgow - Jury's Inn Jamaica Street - coming from the airport, and not realizing that many of the main downtown streets are one-way, we had a challenge getting to this place.  But once in, it was quiet and pleasant, except...

Jury's is next door to one of two Glasgow UK Rail stations, and generates a tremendous amount of noise, starting at 5 am. We were lucky to be here on a Bank Holiday. I can't imagine staying here on a normal working day. Also, parking was not included & cost us 31 pounds for overnight parking, almost 50 dollars. 

Stirling - Monument View B&B - is in a pleasant suburban neighborhood.  Owners are nice with good quality rooms and a fabulous breakfast, once again.  Easy to find and in walking distance of the Wallace Monument.  At night I could see the illuminated Wallace Monument through the room's skylight. 

Callendar - We stayed one night at Coppice House, on the main road, an elegant historic home (that used to be a private school) and the luxurious rooms have high ceilings. The owners - the guy is very knowledgeable about local terrain, being a former ice-climber in the area. He gave me some photo books to look at overnight. The Mom is a teacher & they have teenage kids. We had another fabulous breakfast in a historic B&B.

Pitlochry-Wellwood House is one block uphill from the main road. This charming small hotel has a granite exterior and wood interiors, my favorite overnight stay on the two-week trip, and we were here two nights. Pitlochry is a tiny mountain town with a lot of woods around. 

Edinburgh - White House B&B - A major reason to stay here is because the B&B is easy to access, important for us out-of-towners coming into the outskirts of a big City. The house is on Corbiehill Rd., a very rare left turn, with a light, from the A90. As soon as you make the turn, you're there. This means easy driving access to EDI airport, too.     

The B&B is on a main bus line into the City& the bus stop is one house away, so this is a fabulous jumping-off place to center city at Princes Street for 20 pence, taking about 20 minutes.   

The B&B owner is a very good conversationalist and we (being the only guests at the time) enjoyed talking with her. A great breakfast here is the norm.  We were here two nights. (2019 note - the owner has one of the highest B&B ratings, and her prices have skyrocketed since we stayed there.)  

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